


promises

by cougarlips



Series: fanille week 2017 [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Character Death, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-29 17:32:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10858758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cougarlips/pseuds/cougarlips
Summary: Hope was the first person she made a promise to. “I’ll keep you safe,” she swore, sticking out a long pinkie finger and locking it with his as explosions shook the ground and lit the sky before them.





	promises

**Author's Note:**

> written for day 5 of [fanille week](http://fanilleweek.tumblr.com)!

Hope was the first person she made a promise to. “ _I’ll keep you safe_ ,” she swore, sticking out a long pinkie finger and locking it with his as explosions shook the ground and lit the sky before them. His mind was still reeling, the sight of his mother’s body falling from the edge already seared into his memory, but her hand was warm and solid, it was _there_ , it was secure and definitely real and he may not have believed her, not then, because she was only nineteen and smiled like she didn’t really understand what was going on, but he trusted her anyways.

Then it was Snow. It was with a somber expression and entire soliloquies behind her eyes that she couldn’t yet speak because no one knew she was a Pulse l’Cie. He sat on his knees in front of Serah’s crystallized form and with one hand loosely gripping a shard of debris he simply stared at her, gathering courage and determination as the rest of the party left him behind. “ _She did what she had to do_ ,” she told him softly. She said it for his sake as well as her own, as if she were trying to convince herself that she had made the right decisions, too. She added, pleadingly, “ _Don’t lose hope. Promise me you won’t_.” And he gave her a smile, as big and cheesy as he could muster, and he rested his hand over hers, enveloping it completely. She left a minute later with as much dignity as she could manage, but when she thought no one could see her, silent tears slipped down her cheeks.

In the Sunleth Waterscape she made Sazh a promise she wasn’t sure she could keep. “ _We can still save him_ ,” she told him. “ _There’s still time_.” And Sazh smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes, and he seemed to humor her pinkie promise more than anything, but his expression softened and his eyes didn’t seem quite so tired afterwards. There was a resolve there that hadn’t been there before. She hoped it was a good thing.

(She realized in Nautilus that it hadn’t been.)

Before they left Oerba, Vanille went off on her own before joining the rest of the party on Barthandelus’s ship for Eden and found herself side by side with Lightning, whose glassy eyes and puffy cheeks betrayed her stony expression.

Vanille didn't say a word -- they weren't necessary with Lightning, who seemed to be able to read Vanille like a book as it was. Instead, all she did was outstretch her smallest finger. Lightning caught it slowly, holding their hands together in the air before she lowered them, still connected, onto her knee. They sat there together, side by side, for another hour until Light's skin evened out and all evidence of her breakdown vanished. When they left they left together, and Lightning didn't stop Vanille when she looped their elbows together.

(Vanille always thought she reminded Lightning too much of Serah and that was why Lightning was often so short with her, but at that moment, she liked to believe Lightning needed something to remind her of who Serah really was. Even though Vanille couldn't _be_ Serah, she could emulate what Serah believed in, and if that helped Lightning heal she would gladly do it for the rest of her life.)

Later, Fang and Vanille sat next to one another as they watched their home fade into the distance.

“To righting our wrongs,” Fang offered, extending her finger out to Vanille.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on tumblr @[bisoras](http://bisoras.tumblr.com)!!


End file.
